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Smallpox Epidemic
Smallpox Epidemic wiped out 90% of Native Americans in the Massachusetts Bay area. The symptoms of smallpox were fever, soreness, back pain, and blisters all over the body. The smallpox epidemic was extremely fatal but has since been cured through vaccination. The vaccination was discovered by Edward Jenner who would break open sores on infected patients and inject it into healthy people. An immunity was built and the death rate was close to zero. -
First Thanksgiving
The first Thanksgiving was celebrated with the pilgrims and the Native Americans at Plymouth. They feasted on wild turkey and corn all together. However, not all President's celebrated Thanksgiving. It was not made a national, annual traditional until 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. -
Jamestown is abandoned
Jamestown is abandoned after the statehouse is burned down supposedly by a prisoner who was on death row and had no reason to live anyway. The idea of moving the capital was already in discussion so the statehouse being burned down was the final push to move the capital to Williamsburg, VA. Jamestown and Williamsburg are home today to many historical landmarks. -
Blackbeard is killed
Blackbeard, a famous and deadly pirate, was killed off the coast of Ocracoke Island in NC. He was killed by the crew who served under Lt. Robert Maynard. During his career, he captured over 30 ships with his ship "Queen Anne's Revenge". -
Proclamation Line
King George said that no one could settle west of the Appalachian Mtns which only made the settlers want to do it more. -
Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris was the treaty that ended the French and Indian War also called the Seven Years War. -
Sugar Act
The tax on sugar was in place to solely benefit Parliament's treasury. -
Quartering Act
Under the Quartering Act, all British soldiers would have housing and accomodations during the war. -
Stamp Act
The Stamp Act was a tax on every piece of paper. -
Declaratory Act
The Declaratory Act stated that Parliament had the right to make all laws and full authority. First problem that led to the rise of democracy. -
Townshend Act
The Townshend Act taxed glass, lead, tea, and paper. This provoked the colonists and ultimately led to the Boston Massacre. -
Boston Massacre
The Boston Massacre started as a street fight. A mob was throwing snowballs and rocks at British soldiers. The soldiers then reacted by shooting their weaopons and killing six townspeople. -
Tea Act
The Tea Act's main purpose was to lower the price of tea for colonists. -
Boston Tea Party
The Boston Tea Party was the colonists reaction to the tax on tea. Colonists disguised themselves at Native Americans and threw 342 chests of British Tea into the Boston Harbor. -
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts
The Intolerable Acts were Parliaments reply to the Boston Tea Party. Unneeded laws were created meant to punish the Massachusetts colonists for throwing the tea into the harbor. -
Quartering Act
This was the second Quartering Act and stated that colonists did not have to provide troops with provisions. -
First Continental Congress
All 13 colonies except for Georgia met in Philadelphia to discuss the resistance to Parliament. This was a result of the Intolerable Acts being presented. -
Lexington and Concord
Lexington and Concrd was the first revolutionary bettle. The British were sent to confiscate colonial weapons but a messy colonial army surprisingly wins. -
Second Continental Congress
The 13 colonies met in Philadelphia for the second time right after the warfare began. -
Bunker Hill
The British defeated the the colonists in the battle at Bunker Hill in Massachusetts. -
Olive Branch Petition
John Dickinson wrote a petition appealing to King George III which expressed hope for reconciliation between the colonies and Great Britain. -
Common Sense
Common Sense was a document that was published by Thomas Paine. It's main goal was encourage the colonies to fight for Independence from Great Britain. -
Declaration of Independence
The official day the United States declared independence from Great Britain. -
World's first submarine attack
The American ship, "Turtle", attempted to attach a timebomb to a British Admiral's ship in the New York Harbor. This was the first time that submarines were used in warfare and although it was attempted six different times, none were successful. -
INTL- Euro Officers
John Locke, an important and influencial philosopher, recruited European officers to the Continental Army. These men included Marquis de Lafayette, Johann de Kalb, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, and Tadeusz Kościuszko. By reaching out to foreign men, relationships were strengthened globally. As for the European men, they were excited and eager to become a part of history in the new land. -
INTL- Treaty of Alliance with France
Under Benjamin Franklin, in 1778 a Treaty Of Alliance with France was created to form a military alliance with France against Great Britain. Even further, two other Treaties were signed that day promoting a trade relationship between the United States and France. -
INTL- Russia and Austria Peace
Russia and Austria proposed peace terms which were rejected by John Adams. Considering the recent treaty with France, it was imperative that they presented a united front and deny the peace agreement. -
Surrender at Yorktown
The British finally surrendered after America had declared independence five years prior. -
Treaty of Paris
This treaty was the official treaty that ended the war for independence. -
INTL- Morroco conflict
The American ship Betsey is captured by Morrocans. The enslave the crew and demand that the United States pay ransom to first have the crew released, but also to prevent further similar incindents from happening again. It was not until 1786 that a peace treaty between the two countries was established. -
First State of the Union
The first State of the Union Address was given by George Washington in New York City. It outlined policies with the help of Alexander Hamilton. One of the main points of the Address was to secure Common Defense. Hamilton advised Washington that having a ready army was a prime component in keeping peace. -
The Cotton Gin
Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin. The purpose of the cotton gin was to significantly speed up the process of removing seeds from cotton. This was a double success for the South because it strengthed slavery. He is said to have played a "pioneering role in the development of American mass-production. -
JQA becomes US Senator
John Quincy Adams became a US Senator after he finished working as a minister in England. He served for several years and gained incredible knowledge about government and democracy before losing his spot. -
Lewis and Clark expedition
Lewis and Clark leave on an expedition to map the Northwest US with Sacagawea who served as the first female indian guide. This expedition spanned about 8,000 miles. Lewis was extremely knowledagble and helped record information about zoological, goegraphical and meterological matters. -
JQA becomes minister to Russia
President Madison appoints John Quincy Adams to be the first ever Minister to Russia. The voayge to Russia was long, but Adams took his whole family. This was not shortly after America had denied a Peace treaty with Russia. -
JQA and the Treaty of Ghent
John Quincy Adams was one of the lead negotiators in the Treaty of Ghent. This treaty was of utmost importance since it ended the War of 1812. This treaty finally settled the official boundaries of the United States and Canada. John Quincy Adams noted at the signing, "I hope it will be the last treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States" (Unger 175). -
JQA becomes SoS
John Quincy Adams was appointed Secretary of State under President Monroe. This allowed him to be a mian component in drafting the famous Monroe Doctrine. This also led to him becoming President in 1824. (speaking on slavery in Missouri), "Adams had enough standing as a constitutional scholar to step into the debate to help President and Congress resolve the issue" (Unger 213). -
JQA and the Treaty of 1819
John Quincy Adams worked under President Monroe and helped draft the Treaty of 1819. This was the treaty that secured Florida from the Spanish. It was also called the Florida Purchase Treaty. -
JQA becomes President
John Quincy Adams became President in 1824. He beat Andrew Jackson who surprisingly won the electoral and popular vote. Adams only served one term before Jackson took it back mianly because Jackson's supporters hated the "corrupt bargain". He was not a liked President, "John Quincy was out of touch with his America" (Unger 246). -
JQA and the C&O Canal
John Quincy Adams was a major contributor to the C&O Canal. The purpose was to bridge the America's together. It spans from the Chesapeake to Ohio and today is a national historical landmark. -
JQA & House of Reps
John Quicy Adams was elected to the Plymouth, Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1831. He was extremely passionate about freedom of speech and education. Serving in the House of Representatives was the last thing he did before dying at the age of 80. -
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina and was the home of the first shots of the Civil War. It was originally built to help supprt the coastal defenses since America was lacking in that area in the War of 1812. -
INTL: Alaska is purchased
Alaska Purchase: America purchases Alaska from Russia for $7,200,000. This was equivalent to about two cents per acre. It was a large feat since it was the first part of the United States that was disconnected from the "main land".
